Pune youth’s road sense too casual

Only 16% of the city’s youths wear helmets or use seat belts, revealed a study conducted by DY Patil Medical College’s department of community medicine.

The study was conducted to find out behaviour of city youths related to safe driving.   

Talking to DNA, head of the department of community medicine, Dr Amitav Banerjee, said the cross sectional study revealed youth’s casual attitude toward safe driving.

“We found gaps between youngsters knowing the laws and applying them. The authorities have to step in to help reduce this behaviour. College authorities try to enforce rules by making helmets mandatory on campus, but they can’t do the same outside. Strict implementation of the existing laws can only help curb the problems,” he added.      

According to the study, 95% city youth are knowledgeable about the measures and precautions, but only a little over 16% actually bother using helmets and seat belts.

The study also pointed out that since the police have made the use of seat belts compulsory, more youths follow the rule.    

The study was carried out among 200 affluent young people of both sexes in the age-group of 17 to 25. Of this sample, 112 were males and 88 females. They were selected randomly from an institution of higher education.   

The research also stresses that to decrease road fatalities strict enforcement of traffic rules is necessary. “Gadgets such as speed guns and CCTV should be used by the traffic police to keep a check on people’s behaviour and to enforce the use of helmets and seat belts,” the study suggested.   

It also found that cellphone use while driving was more common among females compared to males, while drunk driving and indulging in bike stunts were more common among males.